Videos from ‘Inspiring Yale’ (now online) showcase campus’ creative connections

Videos are now online from the inaugural Inspiring Yale event, which celebrated the discoveries and accomplishments that happen every day at the university.

“I’m really impressed with the variety of intellectual endeavors that we saw reported here today. I’m genuinely impressed. … I believe that the kind of interaction we are having tonight is essential,” said Yale professor Robert J. Shiller on April 16, in a talk at the inaugural edition of a new campus-wide event, Inspiring Yale. Shiller, a 2015 Nobel laureate, saluted the organizers of the program, which he said was unlike any he had experienced in 33 years on campus.

Elizabeth Mo and Steve Reilly, co-chairs of the inaugural Inspiring Yale event.

Conceived and organized by Yale Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS), the event “is all about celebrating the discoveries and accomplishments that happen everyday at Yale,” said co-chairs Elizabeth Mo, a graduate student, and Steve Reilly ’15 Ph.D. They described the event as “the culmination of two years of efforts by countless individuals in what will surely be a new Yale tradition.” Their hope is that future events will continue to “bring our community together, further interdisciplinary greatness, and spark students to take pride in all the inspirations at Yale.”

The evening showcased the work of various thought leaders from all of Yale’s graduate and professional schools. The featured faculty members were nominated by students in their schools and chosen via a vote organized earlier this year by the GPSS. The videos of all the speakers are available for online viewing on the Inspiring Yale YouTube channel.

In describing the inaugural event, the organizers wrote on the Inspiring Yale website: “Yale is an amazing institution, filled with interesting and stimulating ideas. Our peers and teachers are world-class researchers, performers, writers, and creators. Yale not only offers the broadest range of academic and professional disciplines than any other university, it also values cross-pollination and collaboration.” They noted, though, “[T]oo often, busy schedules and academic commitments make it difficult to find the time to connect across such disciplines.”

Inspiring Yalerecognizes that creativity and innovation often spring from exchanging ideas,” the organizers wrote. “We hope to foster interdisciplinary and interpersonal connections within the community as a critical component of the event.” The event incorporated many ways for graduate and professional and Yale College students to connect to each other, alumni, faculty, and other mentors. It included a mentoring reception and networking intermission that allowed attendees even more opportunities for connection. “It is our hope that Inspiring Yalewill be a cornerstone event for the Yale community, promoting campus unity and helping to fuel the tradition of interdisciplinary excellence at Yale,” said the organizers.

The 2015 Inspiring Yale speakers, with hyperlinks to the videos of their talks, follow:

Claire Bowern, associate professor of linguistics, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Robert Camp, associate research scientist in pathology, Yale School of Medicine

Amy Chua, the John M. Duff professor of law, Yale Law School

J.D. Connor, assistant professor of history of art, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Keller Easterling, professor of architecture, Yale School of Architecture

Linda Honan, associate professor of nursing, Yale School of Nursing

Laura Niklason, professor of anesthesiology and biomedical engineering, Yale School of Engineering

Catherine Sheehy, professor and chair of dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, Yale School of Drama

Robert Shiller, Sterling Professor of Economics and of finance, and fellow, International Center for Finance, Yale School of Management

William Stewart, associate professor and chief, anatomy and experimental surgery section, Yale School of Medicine

Mary Evelyn Tucker, senior lecturer and research scholar, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

Marney White, associate professor of psychiatry and epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health

Robert Wiesenberger, critic, Yale School of Art

Ransom Wilson, professor, Yale School of Music

Almeda Wright, assistant professor of religious education, Yale Divinity School

Amy Wrzesniewski, associate professor of organizational behavior, Yale School of Management

For further information about Inspiring Yale, visit the event’s website: http://www.inspiringyale.com/

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